Available applications

Background of DGCR8 antibody

DGCR8 (UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot entry Q8WYQ5) is a component of the microprocessor complex that acts as a R- and heme-binding protein and is involved in the initial step of microR (miR) biogenesis. This microprocessor complex that is required to process primary miR transcripts (pri-miRs) to release precursor miR (pre-miR) in the nucleus. Within the microprocessor complex, DGCR8 functions as a molecular anchor necessary for the recognition of pri-miR at dsR-ssR junction and directs DROSHA to cleave 11 bp away form the junction. This releases hairpin-shaped pre-miRs that are subsequently cut by the cytoplasmic DICER to generate mature miRs. The heme-bound DGCR8 dimer binds pri-miRs as a cooperative trimer (of dimers) and is active in triggering pri-miR cleavage, whereas the heme-free DGCR8 monomer binds pri-miRs as a dimer and is much less active. Both double-stranded and single-stranded regions of a pri-miR are required for its binding. DGCR8 is involved in the silencing of embryonic stem cells self-renewal.

Determination of the antibody titer To determine the titer of the antibody, an ELISA was performed using a serial dilution of the antibody against mouse DGCR8. The plates were coated with the peptides used for immunization of the rabbit. By plotting the absorbance against the antibody dilution (Figure 1), the titer of the antibody was estimated to be 1:8,100.